1 Night falls. Darkness envelops the entire forest. Flying squirrels venture out from their tree homes. They eagerly search for food - seeds, fruits, leaves, nuts, and insects - to fill their empty stomachs. When they move about, they don't climb down a tree, travel across the ground, and then climb up another tree. That whole sequence of acts is simply too time-consuming and troublesome for flying squirrels. To use their time more effectively, flying squirrels are able to accomplish an achievement that is unthinkable to almost all mammals - they "fly"!2 Well, flying squirrels don't actually fly. They glide. Flying squirrels do not have wings like birds. What they have is a parachute-like skin covered with fur stretched between their front and hind legs. As flying squirrels leap out of a treetop and spread out their four limbs, they look like Aladdin's magic carpet, gliding gracefully across the nighttime sky. Miraculously, flying squirrels are able to maneuver in mid-air and steer toward their desired destinations. When they are near their target, they push their lower bodies forward and pull their upper bodies backward .....For the complete story with questions: click here for printable